Basketball Game Preview: NSU University Sharks vs. Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs

NSU University hasn't had much luck against Cardinal Gibbons recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The NSU University Sharks will square off against the Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs. NSU University is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 52.4 points per game this season.

NSU University took a loss when they played away from home on Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Saturday. They snuck past Key West with a 45-41 win. Given the Sharks' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 156th, while the Conchs are ranked 548th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Kenna Cohen-Osceola

Blocked Shots (Career)

02/01/25 vs Key West	6
12/12/24 @ West Boca Raton	2
01/24/25 vs Archbishop McCarthy	1
01/17/25 vs West Boca Raton	1
01/14/25 vs Oxbridge Academy	1

NSU University's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Kenna Cohen-Osceola led the charge by dropping a double-double on ten points and 13 rebounds. The dominant performance also gave Cohen-Osceola a new career-high in blocks (six). Lielle Montgomery was another key player, putting up eight points in addition to ten boards and four steals.

NSU University smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in eight consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, it can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Cardinal Gibbons had no problem doing just that on Tuesday. They took their contest with ease, bagging a 63-26 victory over the Barracuda. The Chiefs have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won ten games by 23 points or more this season.

The win (which was Cardinal Gibbons' sixth in a row) raised their record to 14-7. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 22.5 points per game. As for NSU University, they pushed their record up to 16-5 with the victory, which was their ninth straight at home.

NSU University was dealt a bruising 56-18 defeat at the hands of Cardinal Gibbons when the teams last played back in December of 2022. Can NSU University avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.